How could she have forgotten just how charming Samuel could be when he put his mind to it? Even at Hogwarts it had been a difficult thing to remain aloft to his charm and keep the chase going. As his fingertips brushed lightly against her cheek Briar’s eyes slid shut and she briefly imagined just taking a different path. But the thought shattered as quickly as it formed. No, she couldn’t let Samuel get close, he was too clever and would figure out her secrets if she dared.

Complicated isn’t the word I would use Briar thought snidely, though she kept her feelings for the other witch off her face this time while cursing herself for the prior slip. She would have to be more careful, Samuel was too apt at reading people for her to risk any more lapses. That made her next answer all the more crucial, she couldn’t be specific because Samuel was apparently still in contact with the witch and could ask her about it. A stroke of inspiration and Briar almost grinned. Instead she opened her soft brown eyes, still shielded by her glasses and spoke solemnly.

“It doesn’t matter.” She said quietly. Let his clever mind paint any number of pictures for what the witch might have done, and when he confronts her she’ll deny even knowing me, making her look even worse in his eyes. Briar thought with an inner smile. It was best to let Samuel think what he would instead of attempting to come up with a story on the fly, not to mention it had the added benefit of perhaps driving a wedge between he and Seanna.

This is too much of a risk Briar thought as she finished the glass of wine and set it on a table. Samuel was going to ruin everything with his incessant curiosity, better to flee now before she gave anything else away. “I’m rather tired, it was a pleasure speaking to you Samuel, goodnight.” Briar said as she turned away, intending to go to the dorms to escape his presence. Silently she cursed herself for slipping into the more formal speech pattern of Purebloods, something she hadn’t done in years. Being back in the magic world is going to make my mask far more difficult to maintain, I mustn’t slip into old habits.